Rebel Fighter
by Gemini14
Summary: Kayla Devans and her brother Jordan are just ordinary teenagers...at least until they are sucked into the Star Wars universe! Can they survive in the midst of war? Or will they be torn apart by it?
1. Chapter One

Rebel Fighter

Chapter One

Kayla waited patiently in line for the new Star Wars ride in the MGM Studios. It was the newest thing in the park and the wait was extremely long. 

"Are we there yet? I want to ride!" Jordan, Kayla's fourteen year old brother whined, as he stood on tiptoe to see over the shoulder of the seven-foot-two guy in front of them.

"Shut up, Jord, we'll get there when we get there!" Kayla said, irritably, as they took a couple of steps forward then stopped again. 

"You shut up, Kay! I've been waiting all summer for this ride to open! This is gonna be the coolest thing since Episode Three came out!" Jordan retaliated. Kayla rolled her eyes. she had agreed to bring Jordan to MGM since their foster parents were too busy to bring Jordan. This was almost too much for her seventeen and a half-year-old mind to take. Finally, after enduring another thirty-minute wait, they entered the cool interior of the ride's outer sanctum.

"Please choose a ship type." A mechanized female voice said, when Kayla and Jordan had arrived at a split in the halls. Jordan went left, past a sign that had a black, wheel-like symbol on it.

"_Guess that leaves right to me._" Kayla thought, as she took the right hall, going past a red, bird-like symbol. Once at the end of her hall, Kayla came to a stop in front of a steel door.

"_Now what?_" Kayla wondered, as the door opened with a hiss and revealed the interior. Inside was a wall that was lined with orange flightsuits, just like the ones from Star Wars: A New Hope.

"Great. Now I'm gonna look like the Great Pumpkin." Kayla muttered, as she picked a flightsuit that was her size and a helmet. When she'd changed her clothes and locked them in a locker, she tucked her wallet into her pocket and walked out of the room and into the 'docking bay', where her fellow 'pilots' were waiting to be briefed.

"_This is stupid! It's just a ride, not a real war!_" Kayla thought, half listening to the 'commander' before being dismissed to the 'X-wings'. As she slid into the seat and watched the cockpit close over her, the screens lit up and a voice came from the speaker.

"Please fasten your restraints and prepare yourself. You're about to embark on one of the most dangerous flights of your life. We are about to take down the Death Star. We have a very short time before the battle station is in firing range. Come back safely, young pilot, and may the Force be with you." A man's voice said, before the X-wing's engines hummed to life and the simulation began.

"Yeah right. Whatever." Kayla muttered, as she felt the ship 'lift off' and ascend into the 'sky'. As soon as the ship had come to the starlit darkness of space and the Death Star appeared on the screen, a brilliant light came from the port side of the ship, disorienting Kayla. 

"Whoa!" Kayla yelped, as the ship shook violently from an unseen impact, then settled down again.

"_Probably some jerk outside trying to scare me!_" Kayla thought, in annoyance, as she followed the X-wings in front of her. 

"All wings report in." a man's voice said, over the speaker.

"Red Ten standing by." A man's voice said in response to the first.

"Red Seven standing by." Another voice said.

"Red Three standing by." A voice Kayla recognized as being Biggs Darklighter's said in response.

"Red Six standing by." Porkins' voice said, over the speaker.

"Red Nine standing by." Yet another voice reported in.

"Red Two standing by." Wedge's voice replied.

"_What is this? Are they making the other park visitors sound like the original Star Wars pilots?!_" Kayla thought, as she listened to the pilots sound off.

"Red Eleven standing by." Another man said.

"Red Five standing by." Luke's voice said, calmly.

"Red Four, are you all right back there?" the first voice asked.

"Huh?" Kayla asked, "Are you talking to me?" Kayla asked, again, startled by the sudden attention she was getting.

"Who do you think I'm talking to?" the first voice asked, crisply.

"Erm………Red Four standing by!" Kayla said, satisfying the man on the other end of the transmission. 

"Lock S-foils into attack position." The first voice, obviously Red Leader, commanded. Kayla did as she was told and listened as the wings on her X-wing opened.

"We're passing through their magnetic field. Switch your deflectors on. Double front!" Red Leader ordered.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge said, sounding almost frightened by the immensity of the battle station. Kayla had to agree.

"Cut the chatter, Red Two. Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, people!" Red Leader shouted, as they swooped in for the attack. Within seconds, Kayla found herself in the thick of some heavy laser fire. Amidst the sounds of chaos, Kayla heard Luke declare that he was going in. With some difficulty, Luke took out the gun tower.

"Are you all right?" Kayla and Biggs asked, at the same time. They both heard a slight chuckle from Luke's end.

"Got a little cooked, but I'm okay." Luke replied.

"_I can't believe this! I'm actually beginning to think that this is real!_" Kayla thought, as she rolled her ship to avoid a blast from another tower. 

"You're quite good, Red Four." Biggs commented, getting a blush from Kayla.

"Thanks. But keep your attention on the Death Star, Red Three." Kayla said, casually, as she blew the tower into oblivion. 

"I'm going in. Cover me, Porkins!" Wedge said, as he turned and started the famous, yet failed, first attack run.

"I'm right with you, Red Two." Porkins replied, as he followed Wedge in. With lasers blazing, the two fighters made an attempt to hit the target, the result of which ending in Porkins getting killed.

"_If I'm right, then the part where Biggs gets killed isn't too far away. What if I changed that? Would I be able to save his life?_" Kayla wondered, as she listened to an alert that was coming from the Rebel base.

"Squad Leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way." a man's voice calmly stated, even though there was an undertone of anxiety in it.

"My scope's negative. I don't see anything!" Luke objected.

"Pick up your visual scanning. Here they come!" another man's voice said, as TIE fighters screamed towards them.

"Oh, just perfect!" Kayla shouted, sarcastically, as she dodged to avoid getting hit by a barrage of laserfire. 

"Watch it, you've got one on your tail!" one other pilot said, as Biggs desperately tried to avoid the lasers.

"They're on me tight! I can't shake him!" Biggs shouted.

"I'm right with you, Red Three!" Kayla shouted.

"I'll be right there!" Luke said, as Kayla got in behind the TIE and blew it to pieces.

"Nice shot, Red Four!" Wedge commented.

"You can say that again!" Luke said, as the announcement came over their speakers that the Gold team was starting its attack run. Just as they did, the guns stopped firing.

"Enemy fighters! They're coming in! Three marks at two-ten!" one of the Gold team's pilots shouted, as three TIEs flew into the trench. Seconds passed and Gold Leader and his wingman were blown to pieces by the TIE fighters. 

"Red Leader, this is Base One." DoDonna's voice said, through the speakers of the X-wings.

"Copy Base One." Red Leader replied.

"Keep half your group out of range for the next run." DoDonna commanded.

"Luke, take Red Two, Three and Four. Hold up here and wait for my signal to start your run." Red Leader said, as they all followed the command. With that said, Red Leader led what remained of his group into the trench. 

"We should be able to see it by now." Red Ten muttered, as he kept his eyes open for the target.

"Keep your eyes open for those fighters!" Red Leader ordered.

"There's too much interference! Red Five, can you see them from where you are?" Red Ten asked.

"No sign of any…………..wait! Coming in, point three-five." Luke replied, as Kayla chewed her lip, nervous about the final run. 

"You nervous, Red Four?" Biggs asked, as they watched Red Leader and his wingman attempt a run down the trench.

"Yeah. Don't know why, though." Kayla said, being perfectly honest.

"Don't worry. It happens to the best of us. Just stick close to me and you'll do fine." Biggs reassured.

"Okay." Kayla replied, almost blushing because Biggs was being so kind to her.

"Biggs, you'll have time to flirt with the lady pilot later. For now, let's pay attention, okay?" Luke asked, sounding a little exasperated.

"Okay, Luke. You sure know how to ruin it for a guy, don't you?" Biggs asked, sounding jovial even though they were in the midst of a life and death struggle. 

"It's away!" Red Leader shouted, jubilantly.

"_But it won't hit the target._" Kayla thought, as she watched the proton torpedo impact on the surface. 

"Red Leader, we're right above you. Turn to point oh-five, we'll cover for you." Luke said, as he, Biggs, and Kayla went in to cover for Red Leader.

"I just lost my starboard engine. Get set up for your attack run." Red Leader replied, grimly, before his X-wing exploded. Kayla shuddered as a cold feeling passed through her. 

"_What was that just now?!_" Kayla wondered, as she and her fellow pilots got ready to do their attack run.

"Hey, Red Four, what's your real name?" Luke asked, suddenly.

"M-my name's Kayla Devans, sir." Kayla replied, startled that he'd asked for her name.

"Okay then………Biggs, Wedge, Kayla, let's close it up. We're going in and we're going in full throttle." Luke said, with daring in his voice.

"Right with you, Boss." Wedge said, crisply.

"I'm right with you!" Kayla said, trying to sound brave.

"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" Biggs asked, sounding concerned about his friend.

"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home." Luke replied, confidently, as he led them into the fray.

"We'll stay back far enough to cover you." Biggs said, as he took up a defensive position behind Luke.

"_Here we go. Now to see if I can save Biggs from his fate._" Kayla thought, as she took up a position behind Wedge and Biggs. As they flew full throttle down the trench, Kayla started wondering where her brother was; was he in one of the TIEs behind them? Or had he already been shot down? 

"Fighters coming in, point three." Biggs said, as Kayla tried to see if she could possibly save Biggs. 

"_If you desire to protect Biggs, then draw strength from the Force. The Force will help you._" A man's voice whispered, in the back of Kayla's mind.

"I'm hit! I can't stay with you!" Wedge shouted, as sparks flew from his X-wing.

"Get clear, Wedge. You can't do any more good back there!" Luke shouted, as Wedge's X-wing veered off.

"Sorry." Wedge said, as he limped from the trench.

"Biggs! They'll be aiming for you next! Stay alert!" Kayla shouted, as she buried her feelings of fear and drew strength from somewhere to say that.

"Okay. Thanks, Kayla!" Biggs replied, then shouted over to Luke, "Hurry, Luke! They're coming in much faster this time!" Biggs shouted, as he avoided volley after volley from the three TIE fighters. Then the TIE in the middle fired a blast………only to have it deflected by an invisible barrier.

"_Ha, ha, Vader. Let's see you hit Biggs now._" Kayla thought, smirking as she willed the shield around Biggs into existence. She didn't know that she was tapping into her hidden strength, but she knew that she wanted Biggs to survive. Just then, Luke's voice came over the speaker.

"Kayla, Biggs, go ahead and veer off. I'm going to take out that target." Luke said, calmly.

"You sure, Luke?" Biggs asked, noticing that Luke sounded way too calm for being in the middle of battle.

"Yes. You and Kayla both head out. I can take care of this." Luke said, with confidence in his voice.

"Let's go. When Luke hits that thing, I want to make sure that I'm clear before it explodes." Kayla said.

"All right. See ya in a few, Luke." Biggs said, as he and Kayla both veered off. It wasn't seconds later that the Millennium Falcon appeared and took out the TIE fighters that had been behind them the entire time.

All looked up when Han Solo's war cry filled the speakers.

"You're all clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!" Han shouted, as Chewbacca roared in the background.

"_Thank goodness!_" Kayla thought, as she and the rest of the remaining Rebel fighters watched as Luke fired his proton torpedo into the vent and then started high-tailing it out of there. Kayla relaxed back in her cockpit, relief plastered on her features. Seconds later, the Death Star exploded into a giant fireball, then even that disappeared.

"Great shot, kid. That was one in a million!" Han shouted, enthusiastically. As they all regrouped, Kayla became aware that she had just changed the course of one man's life and also that 'Star Wars' was no longer just a movie; it had just become real.

"So, what kind of food is there gonna be at the victory celebration?" Kayla asked, getting laughter from Biggs and the other survivors.

"I guess we'll find out, Kayla." Biggs said, as they all headed back to the Rebel base. When they finally touched down, Kayla got her first good look at the base; she was amazed by its immensity.

"Pretty big place, isn't it?" Biggs' voice said, as she got down from her X-wing.

"Yeah. It is." Kayla said, as she watched Luke reunite with Han Solo and Princess Leia. 

"You know, I don't remember seeing you around before. You're new around here, aren't you?" Biggs asked, as he took Kayla gently by the arm.

"Erm…………yeah. You could say that." Kayla said, not wanting to tell him that she had initially just entered a ride and somehow ended up in his universe.

"Biggs! Get your butt over here! I want you to meet some friends of mine!" Luke shouted.

"All right, all right! Keep your flightsuit on!" Biggs said, as he and Kayla hurried over to where Luke stood. As introductions began, Kayla let her mind wander; was she really in the 'Star Wars' universe? She had to find out.

"Hey, Luke, would you happen to know anybody by the name of Mark Hamill?" Kayla asked.

"Mark Hamill? Nope, can't say that I have. Why? Is this 'Mark Hamill' a friend of yours'?" Luke asked, confused by the question.

"No!……………Uh…………..Just curious! That's all!" Kayla replied, with a cheesy smile. Luke laughed at her embarrassment.

"Don't worry, we're all in this together. Our adventures have only just started!" Biggs said, grinning ear to ear.

"Miss Kayla, would you mind coming this way, please?" Leia asked.

"S-sure thing!" Kayla said, as she followed Leia out of the docking bay and into a spare room of the temple/base.

"There's going to be a fancy reception after the presentation of the Medals of Honor. Would you like to borrow a dress for the occasion? I could also help you fix your hair, if you like." Leia offered.

"Um………….Sure! Thank you so much!" Kayla said, amazed by how nice Leia really was. After a little bit, Kayla chose a gold ensemble that had transparent silk sleeves and a low cut front. The sleeves and collar were trimmed with amber beads that matched her hair.

"That dress suits you! It matches perfectly with your hair." Leia said, as she gently brushed Kayla's long, honey blond hair into a petite bun. Kayla blushed. She couldn't remember ever being fussed over like this by her foster mother!

"Does it really?" Kayla asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"Absolutely! Take a look in the mirror!" Leia said, as she motioned to the full-length mirror that stood in one corner of the room. Taking Leia's advice, Kayla slowly approached the mirror and looked at her reflection. The reflection was that of a beautiful and dignified young woman, not the Kayla she remembered looking at every day in the bathroom mirror!

"Oh wow………." Kayla murmured, as she looked herself over. Leia chuckled at the reaction.

"I take it that you like what you see?" Leia asked.

"Oh yes! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Kayla said, ecstatic about the way she now looked. Leia smiled warmly.

"You're quite welcome. Now, it's time for me to get ready, since I will be presenting the medals. It would be rather embarrassing to be late and have to push through Luke and Han to get to the stage!" Leia said, as she chose a flowing white dress. Within the hour, both women were ready.

"Princess Leia, they are all waiting on you." Threepio's voice said, from outside of the closed door.

"Be right there! Come along, Kayla!" Leia said, before rushing off. Kayla followed without question. Soon they found themselves in the audience chamber.

"My, my! Kayla Devans! You shine up like a new credit! You look beautiful!" Biggs remarked, as he walked over to her. Kayla blushed; it wasn't often that she got compliments for looking nice.

"What an honor! To be allowed to borrow one of Princess Leia Organa's own dresses for this special occasion!" another woman said, as she admired Kayla's dress. They all fell silent when the trumpets sounded and the Alliance March was played. Kayla smiled when Luke, Han, and Chewie marched down the aisle, with their heads held high. As the medals were placed about the necks of the two men, Kayla felt a sense of pride well up within her.

"Welcome to the Alliance, kid. You're one of us, now." Biggs murmured, then cheered for his friend, as Luke and Han turned around and showed the Alliance their medals.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Jordan watched in stunned amazement as the Death Star blew up. He was now almost completely baffled. Was this real? Or was it make-believe?

"All pilots report to _Executioner _bay three. Repeat. All pilots report to _Executioner _bay three." A man's voice announced, over the speaker.

"_Might as well follow orders._" Jordan thought, as he maneuvered his TIE fighter into bay three. As he descended from his fighter, Jordan realized that he was no longer in the ride at MGM anymore.

"You there! Your name and registration number!" an Imperial officer shouted, startling Jordan, somewhat.

"Who? Me?" Jordan asked, pointing to himself in his confusion.

"Yes, you!" the officer replied, snappishly.

"I don't know." Jordan said, helplessly. The officer released a long-suffering sigh.

"The number on the back of your helmet, kid." The officer said, with exasperation in his voice.

"Oh." Jordan said, as he removed his helmet and took a look at the number.

"Oh-four-eighteen-eighty-three-two-nine." Jordan said, reading his number aloud so the officer could get it.

"Thank you. You must be new to the Empire, since your registration number isn't even in the records." The officer said, looking up as a battered TIE Interceptor docked next to Jordan's TIE.

"Lord Vader…….." the officer whispered, fearfully, as he hastily retreated from the bay. Jordan turned around and watched in awe as the infamous Dark Lord of the Sith descended gracefully from his TIE Interceptor.

"_Wow_………………_This is the real Darth Vader! Not some guy in a cheap costume in the theme park, either!_" Jordan thought, as he silently watched Vader assess the damage to his TIE then slowly turn his attention to him. For a moment, Sith Lord and teen eyed one another, the only sound being the raspy wheezing of Darth Vader's breathing. Jordan wasn't even aware that Vader was moving until Vader was standing two feet away. Jordan didn't move a muscle, standing at attention as Vader looked him over.

"What is your name, young one?" Vader asked, his voice a deep growl.

"Jordan Devans, sir." Jordan replied, remembering to stay polite, lest he end up like Needa. Vader nodded, slightly, before placing a hand on Jordan's head. Jordan didn't dare move. Immediately, Jordan felt a slight tingling in his skull and felt strength flow into him.

"The Force is strong with you. The Emperor would be interested in you." Vader said, as he removed his hand from Jordan's head.

"_Force sensitive?! Me?! Please! Tell me I'm not dreaming!_" Jordan thought, barely suppressing the grin that wanted to come through. 

"You are not dreaming, young Jordan. You are strong in the Force." Vader said, almost sounding, for the briefest of moments, gentle. 

"Lord Vader, the Emperor demands to see you." One officer, this one different from the one that Jordan had met before, said as he approached Vader.

"I will be there momentarily. Jordan, come with me." Vader ordered, as he started walking out of the docking bay. Jordan eagerly followed. They walked briskly down a long corridor and into a dimly lit communications room. Slowly, Vader kneeled before the holo-projector and Jordan did the same.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Vader asked, quietly, as a ghostly image of the Emperor appeared before them. 

"I have just heard that the Death Star has been destroyed by the Rebels. Is this true?" the Emperor asked, sounding somewhat angry.

"Yes, my Master." Vader replied, bowing his head in shame. Then the Emperor turned his attention to Jordan.

"And who is this?" the Emperor asked, as he gazed at the youth who was knelt near Vader.

"This is Jordan Devans, a young pilot who is strong in the Force." Vader replied, as the Emperor's cold yellow eyes examined the youth.

"Indeed. He is strong. What do you intend to do with him, Lord Vader?" the Emperor asked, his interest showing on his withered features.

"I would like to train him, personally, my Master." Vader said, as Jordan fell over backwards in astonishment. The Emperor chuckled at Jordan's reaction. 

"I give you permission, Lord Vader, to pursue the lad's training. He could be of great use to us." the Emperor said, pleased that at least one good thing had come out of a bad day.

"Yes, my Master." Vader said, showing neither pleasure nor displeasure at being able to train Jordan in the ways of the Force. 

"That will be all." The Emperor said, before the projector was turned off. Vader then turned to Jordan, who was now picking himself off of the floor.

"From now on, you are my apprentice, Jordan Devans." Vader said, as he stood to his full height. 

"As you will it, Master." Jordan said, trying not to sound excited about becoming the apprentice of the original Dark Lord of the Sith.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Three years have passed, since Kayla found herself in the midst of the conflict known as the post-Clone War era. She is now twenty years of age and a pilot with full honors. She rivals fellow pilots Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles. Even though Kayla remembered her life back on earth, her memories of how she'd gotten into the war were dimming with each year; but her growing attraction for the dashing Biggs Darklighter was growing every day. The Rebellion had been pushed back onto the snowy planet of Hoth, where the scenery was as bleak as the prospects of defeating the Empire………

"Could we have chosen a more inhospitable planet to hide on?" Kayla grumbled, as she zipped her coat all the way up.

"Well, it's either here or someplace on Tatooine. Either extreme is unpleasant." Biggs said, trying to placate his impatient friend.

"That's true. I seem to remember you and Luke describing that place as a sandy wasteland where moisture farming is essential to survival." Kayla said, as she adjusted a gear on one of the snowspeeders. 

"Yeah. Luke's aunt and uncle were moisture farmers. They were nice folks, even though they were strict about Luke remaining with them for another year." Biggs said, as he got down from his ladder and helped Kayla get down too. Kayla nodded. She could remember the heartbreaking scene when Luke had returned to the moisture farm and found his aunt and uncle dead. She knew how Luke must have felt. 

"Devans! Darklighter! There's going to be a meeting in the main chamber in ten minutes! Move your butts!" Wedge shouted.

"All right! Keep your snowsuit on! C'mon, Kayla!" Biggs said, as he led Kayla to the main audience chamber. After the meeting was over, Kayla walked back into the hangar, smiling when she heard Chewbacca roar something to Han.

"All right! Don't lose your temper! I'll come right back and give you a hand!" Han shouts back.

"Leaving us Captain?" Kayla asked, as Han walked past her.

"Yeah." Han said, before disappearing into the command room. Chewbacca growled a greeting to her.

"Heya, Chewie. Having trouble with the Falcon again?" Kayla asked. She got an affirmative grunt from the Wookie.

"Well, if it needs fixing, you're the one to do it. If you can't do it, I don't know who can!" Kayla said, getting an appreciative bellow from Chewbacca.

"I can see why Chewie likes you better than the others, you flatter him!" Biggs teased, before Han rushed past him.

"Hey! What's goin' on?" Kayla asked, as she and Biggs trailed after Han.

"Luke hasn't come back yet." Han said, concern evident in his tone. Kayla and Biggs exchange a look of alarm. Luke had not returned yet?! The two pilots watch as Han mounts a tauntaun.

"Your tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker!" a deck officer shouts, trying to persuade Han to stay.

"Then I'll see you in hell!" Han retorts, as he gives the tauntaun a good kick and starts on his way. Kayla looked worriedly out at the quickly dimming light; she knew that Han would find Luke, but the fact that she was now faced with this problem too only made her doubtful.

"_Do not doubt yourself. The Force is with you and Luke. Do not worry._" The voice Kayla had first heard three years ago murmured.

"Kayla?" Biggs asked, noticing that Kayla's eyes looked distant and sad.

"I'm okay, Biggs. Let's see if we can do anything to help find Luke." Kayla said, as she walked over to some other mechanics and helped them get a snowspeeder ready for the next day. Hours pass and still no sign of Luke. Artoo Detoo, Luke's loyal and plucky astromech droid, sits in the open hangar door, searching for any sign that Luke was still alive out there. 

"You must come along now, Artoo. There's really nothing more we can do. And my joints are freezing up." Threepio said, with even more worry than usual in his voice. Artoo beeps sadly.

"Don't say things like that! Of course we'll see Master Luke again! And he'll be quite all right! Stupid little short-circuit. He'll be quite all right." Threepio murmurs, as he sadly walks away from the door, leaving Artoo to continue his lonely vigil. Kayla, who had remained in the docking bay with Biggs and Wedge, was also keeping an eye out for their missing friends.

"We all got out of the Death Star battle only to lose Luke now? Dammit!" Wedge mutters, smacking the hard steel floor with his fist.

"Luke's a tough kid, he'll make it back alive. He's survived one extreme, he's sure to survive this!" Biggs said, trying to comfort Wedge's feeling of loss. 

"Luke will come back, you'll see." Kayla said, in agreement with Biggs. They all look up when the shield doors close and Chewbacca lets out a mournful moan. 

"_He will come back, you'll see._" Kayla thought, as she sipped her coffee and huddled down into the blankets she had brought out with her.

Morning came cold and clear to the frozen world. A lone snowspeeder flies over the frozen terrain in search of Luke and Han. 

"Echo Base….I've got something! Not much, but it could be a life form." Zev, the speeder's pilot says, as he turns the speeder around for another look. Then he turned on another transmitter and spoke into it.

"Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two. This is Rogue Two. Captain Solo, do you copy?" Zev asks, getting nothing but static. 

"Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two." Zev tries again, not willing to give up just yet.

"Good morning! Nice of you guys to drop by!" Han's voice shouted, in response to Zev's calling. Zev grins. A small miracle had been granted.

"Echo Base, this is Rogue Two. I found them. Repeat, I found them." Zev said, still smiling as he swooped in low over the area where a makeshift tent had been erected.

Kayla dashed into the crew quarters, her eyes glittering with joy.

"They found them! Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo have been found!" Kayla shouted, jubilantly, before whoops and shouts of joy and relief filled the room. Biggs picked Kayla up and whirled her around, overjoyed to hear that his friend was returning to base alive. 

"I knew it! I knew it!" Biggs shouted, as he hugged Kayla, still laughing as he set her down. Kayla was also grinning from ear to ear. Within moments, the medical ship had a welcoming committee waiting in the hangar. Leia smiled at the anxious and eager faces of the pilots and mechanics. They had all befriended the wiry young man from the sandy backwater planet of Tatooine and were hoping that he was all right. The moment Luke was brought out of the ship and Han walked alongside his stretcher, the group let out a cheer very similar to the one they had released after the ceremony at Yavin4. 

"_A hero's welcome._" Leia thought, smiling as the procession led to the medical bay where Luke would be treated for his wounds. Within hours, half of the base's occupants had visited Luke, the last of those being Leia, Han, and Chewbacca along with an anxious Threepio and Artoo. Before they could even relax, the alarm sounded. Something was up. Kayla nearly jumped out of her skin when the alarms started blaring. 

"What's going on?!" Kayla shouted, over the din the alarms were making.

"The Imps have found us! Rieeken's just ordered the evacuation of the base." Another pilot shouted, as he got into one of the snowspeeders. 

"Oh hell…………." Kayla grumbled, as she and Biggs dashed to where the evacuation group waited.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Kayla, Biggs, and Wedge all gathered close as Leia announced what the escape plans would be.

"All troop carriers will assemble at the North Entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports." Leia said, as concerned looks crossed the faces of even the most seasoned of pilots. Even though she'd only been with the Rebellion for three years, Kayla had grown very close to the people she was fighting alongside. She jumped when Biggs touched her shoulder.

"You all right, Kayla?" Biggs asked, gently. Kayla nodded.

"Just a little scared, Biggs, that's all." Kayla admitted, almost shamefacedly.

"You wouldn't be human if you weren't. Don't worry. Fortune has smiled on us so far; we'll make it." Wedge said, with confidence he probably did not truly feel in his voice. Kayla gave him an uncertain smile. Sure, she knew that this was going to happen, but it didn't help matters any that she was now in the middle of it.

"_I hope the Force can get us all through this_…………_I don't know what I'd do without Biggs or Wedge close by._" Kayla thought, as she glanced around the hangar at the pilots that were now scrambling to get to their fighters, knowing that the next few hours would not necessarily be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, all too close for comfort, the Super Star Destroyer _Executioner_ glided silently through space, with an entourage of normal Star Destroyers all around it. Inside of his chambers, Jordan Devans, Kayla's younger brother, meditated. On the floor in front of him, his newly built lightsaber lay within hands' reach. He'd been under Vader's guidance in the use of the Force for almost three years, and he was becoming incredibly strong. So strong, in fact, that Vader had personally given him the materials for building his first lightsaber; a fact that had thrilled Jordan to no end.

"_Jordan._" Vader's voice called, telepathically.

"_Yes, Master?_" Jordan replied, immediately snapping from his meditation to attention.

"_Come to the debriefing room._" Vader commanded. Jordan bowed his head slightly and rose to his feet, picking up his lightsaber in one fluid movement as he did so.

"_Yes, my Master._" Jordan responded, as he left his quarters without even so much as a glance back. When he got to the debriefing room, General Veers was already there. Out of respect for the young Dark Jedi, Veers nodded, getting a polite nod in return from Jordan.

"You have found something, General?" Vader asked, as he shifted his attention from Jordan to Veers. Veers nodded.

"I think we've got something, sir. The report is only a fragment from a probe droid in the Hoth System, but it's the best lead we've had. The visuals indicate life readings." Veers informed. For the briefest of moments, both Vader and Jordan were silent, their minds reaching out to the distant planet and touching the presences they could faintly detect there.

"That's it." Jordan murmured, his eyes taking on an ambitious sheen as he thought of what they were going to do to the Rebels. Vader nodded, silently pleased with how far Jordan had come since being found in the _Executioner_'s docking bay.

"_I was a lot like him when I was still in training._" Vader thought, then said, "The Rebels are there. That is the system, and I am sure that Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth System. General Veers, prepare your men."

"Yes sir!" Veers said, as he saluted, then briskly marched out.

"Master, the Star Destroyers came out of hyperspace too soon." Jordan murmured, his eyes narrowing when he thought of whom was at fault for that.

"Indeed. I am about to deal with him now." Vader stated, as he turned on the viewscreen and contacted the Star Destroyer that had the Imperial Admiral on it. The moment the Admiral became aware of the contact, he turned and faced the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"Lord Vader, the fleet has moved out of light speed, and we're preparing to……………..!" Admiral Ozzel said, before the Force tightened its grip around his throat.

"You have failed me for the last time, Admiral……… Captain Piett." Vader growled, getting the Imperial captain's attention immediately.

"Yes, my lord?" Piett replied, shakily trying to ignore his writhing superior's death throes.

"Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy field and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. You are in command now………Admiral Piett." Vader finished, as the sound of cracking bone was heard, and Ozzel fell dead to the floor.

"Thank you………….Lord Vader." Piett stammered, before the transmission was cut, and left Vader and Jordan in the twilight darkness of the debriefing room.

"Master, I think my sister is also on Hoth. What should we do with her when we find her?" Jordan asked, quietly.

"I will leave that decision to you, my young apprentice. Avenge yourself on her, if that is what you desire, or bring her directly to me. This will be your first mission as a warrior of the Dark Side." Vader said.

"As you will it, Master. She will join us, or die." Jordan stated, coldly. He was going to make Kayla pay for abandoning him…….for not even trying to search for him.

"_Just you wait and see, Kayla. You're gonna regret you even had a brother! Mark my words_…………." Jordan thought, as he silently walked out of the room, fully aware of Darth Vader's stare on his back as he went.

The Rebel base was in chaos as personnel raced to get to their ships, and as the first transport made its attempt to get away from the planet. Kayla and Biggs did what they could to prepare their X-Wings for flight.

"Darklighter! Devans! May the Force be with you both!" Dack, Luke's snowspeeder gunner shouted.

"Same to you, Dack!" Kayla replied, before remembrance brought back the scene of Dack's death from the movies.

"Biggs, think we can have our X-Wings transported along with Luke's?" Kayla asked.

"Dunno. Let me check." Biggs said, as he turned to one of the techs and talked to him. He returned his attention to Kayla with a grim look on his face.

"Not both of 'em, Kay. We're gonna have to leave one of 'em behind." Biggs stated.

"Then let's leave mine behind. We've gotta go out and see what we can do to help Luke and Dack get through this." Kayla said. Biggs gave her a surprised look, then sighed.

"All right. Hope you don't mind being in the gunner chair for once." Biggs murmured. He was surprised when he got a kiss on the cheek from Kayla.

"I don't mind. Let's get going." Kayla said, as she and Biggs raced off to find a snowspeeder they could use.

Just as the formidable shapes of the Imperial Walkers filled the Rebels' sights, snowspeeders left the docking bay. Luke could see that things were not going to be easy for them, since they were facing AT-AT s, huge, almost elephantine machines that were almost invincible.

"Hey! Luke!" a familiar female voice shouted, through Luke's communicator.

"Kayla?! What're you doin'?! Why aren't you headin' out with the rest of the fighters?!?" Luke asked, stunned by the young woman's presence on this particular battlefield.

"She's more stubborn than a Wookie, Luke. You should know that by now." Biggs' voice said, jokingly. Luke almost sweat-dropped; just what in the world were his two crazy friends planning?!

"You're insane, the both of you." Luke muttered, much to the amusement of Dack, and the rest of the wings under his command.

"Okay, steady Dack. Attack Pattern Delta. Go now." Luke ordered, getting back to the business at hand.

"Luke, I have no approach vector. I'm not…………….oh, wait………..it's setting up on its own………." Dack muttered, stunned when the computers seemingly set themselves for the attack.

"_Kayla? Are you doing this?_" Luke wondered, as he sensed what he thought to be a ripple in the Force.

"All right guys, keep tight now." Luke murmured, as all of the snowspeeders closed in the walkers and opened fire. They all watched in horror as their laserbolts bounced harmlessly off of the AT-AT s tough armor.

"Luke, the armor's too strong for blasters! We're gonna have to try something else!" Biggs shouted, as he dodged blasts from the armored vehicles' cannons, and as the barrage hit one of the snowspeeders. Luke shuddered as the cold feeling of death washed over him, unaware that Kayla was also feeling the same thing. And that two others may have also felt it.

"Rogue Group, use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs, it might be our only chance of stopping them." Luke commanded.

"Luke, we've got a malfunction in fire control……..wait…….that's fixing itself too! What the heck's goin' on here?!" Dack said, sounding as confused as he must have felt.

"_I think I know_………….." Luke mused, then released the tow cable. It missed.

"Wedge, you're going to have to make this shot. I'll cover for you." Luke said, watching as Kayla and Biggs' snowspeeder took out one of the giant walkers.

"Good job, you two! That was great!" Dack complimented. He got chuckles in response over the comm link.

"Save the compliments for later, Dack. Stay focused. We've got more comin' this way." Kayla said, gently, knowing that the young pilot seemed to idolize her, Luke, and Biggs.

"_Especially Luke._" Kayla thought, as she remembered what was said between Luke and Dack before they'd left the docking bay.

"Cable out! Let 'er go!" Wedge's voice shouted, over the link, as his 'speeder finished wrapping the walker's legs in the cable. It toppled over only moments later. Much to the Imperials' displeasure. It was then that Kayla sensed that something wasn't right, and she yelped when a small bit of a stray laser blast punctured the back of Luke's snowspeeder and hit Dack.

"Dack! Are you all right?!" Kayla asked. She was a little relieved when a weak response came from Luke's gunner.

"Yeah,………..I……think so………Kay. But this 'speeder's fried." Dack gasped, painfully, as the speeder came to a grinding halt.

"_What do ya think, Kay? Did you like my little trick?_" a male voice asked, in the back of Kayla's mind. Biggs noticed when she tensed.

"What's up, Kay?" Biggs asked, trusting in her instincts.

"I think I may have just found my missing brother, Biggs………..and I don't like where I think he may have ended up……………….." Kayla muttered, as Biggs landed their snowspeeder and helped Luke get Dack out.

"Kayla?" Luke questioned, concernedly, when he saw how pale she was.

"I'll be okay, Luke. We'll meet ya at the rendezvous point where the X-Wings are, okay?" Kayla replied. Luke reluctantly nodded, a little reassured when Dack smiled at him weakly from the makeshift stretcher some of the other Rebel soldiers had been using to evacuate the nearby trenches.

"See you guys in a few." Luke said.

"May the Force be with you, Luke." Biggs said, seriously.

"You too, Biggs." Luke replied, as he went to see what he could do about the walker that was slowly approaching their location.

Jordan sat back with a look of satisfaction on his face. He knew that Kayla had sensed him, and had heard his mental voice.

"_Just wait and see, Kay. You'll find out for yourself just how strong I've become._" Jordan thought, as he waited alongside Darth Vader, his Master, and prepared to invade the besieged Rebel base. With a Dark Jedi and a Sith Lord, his sister and her friends did not have a prayer. And they knew it.

Author's Note!

Finally, at long last, an update! Sorry for the long wait, minna!


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Kayla breathed a sigh of relief when they (she, Biggs, and an injured Dack) arrived at the rendezvous point. She heard when Biggs uttered a sigh of his own when he spotted a small, two-person shuttle sitting alongside his and Luke's X-Wings.

"Thank the Force! Somebody's lookin' out for us!" Biggs muttered, and Kayla was inclined to agree. It was more than just luck that had gotten them this far; and that left only one option. The Force itself.

"_All we've gotta do now is get Dack on board that shuttle, and wait for Luke. We probably won't have to wait long for him, though._" Kayla thought, as some of their comrades helped them get Dack situated, then hurried back to the trenches.

"Force be with them. There's some guys who deserve metals for valor, eh, Kay?" Dack asked, painfully, his blue-green eyes glazed with pain. Kayla nodded, and gently pressed a cold compress onto his fevered brow.

"Yeah. Hang in there, Dack. We're gonna get goin' soon." Kayla promised.

"But not without Luke, right?" Dack asked, looking a little concerned for the young commander.

"Of course not. In fact, we're gonna stick closer to him than flies to a Hutt. I swear by the Force." Kayla said, half-jokingly, half-seriously. Dack smiled, despite the pain he was in, chuckling softly at Kayla's declaration.

"You ready to go, Kay?" Biggs asked, through the communications system in the shuttle.

"Yeah, just about. Gotta get Dack fastened in, then I'll start warming up the engines." Kayla replied, as she finished doing just that and hurried to the cockpit. By the time she got there, Luke had already just arrived at his X-Wing, and Biggs was lifting off.

"Ready to leave this ice-cube, Kay?" Biggs asked, jokingly.

"Heck yeah! It's suddenly too hot for us here, Biggs!" Kayla stated, in the same tone.

"Then let's fly." Biggs said, with some daring in his voice, as they lifted off and followed Luke into space. Kayla could sense Luke's surprise when he sensed them following him.

"What do you two think you're doing?! Why're you following me?!?" Luke's voice asked, over the comm-link.

"Luke, there's too many enemy ships nearby, and I need to avoid contact with my younger brother at all costs. Going with you to wherever you're going is better than regrouping with the others, since my brother is out for revenge on something I did." Kayla replied, firmly. She grinned slightly when Biggs muttered a soft 'she told you' and when Luke sighed in exasperation.

"All right, all right. You win………………Has either one of you heard of the Dagobah System?" Luke asked. Of course Kayla had, but Biggs was a different story.

"Dagobah? Where's that and why do you want to go there?" Biggs asked. This got another sigh from Luke; this one of longsuffering.

"It's a system on the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. There's someone I need to see there…………to complete some training." Luke replied, the latter part of his response hesitant at best.

"Jedi training?" Biggs asked. There were a few moments of stunned silence, then Luke spoke again.

"Yeah. I need to see if I can finish what Ben Kenobi started to teach me………Are you two still willing to follow me?" Luke asked.

"Yep. Just lead the way, Luke. 'Sides, I promised Dack we'd stay with you, and I don't like to break promises." Kayla stated.

"Biggs is right, you are as stubborn as a Wookie." Luke mumbled, as they continued on their way.

Jordan snarled as he reentered his quarters. Kayla had slipped through his grasp just as easily as water. Channeling his fury through the Force, he threw anything and everything that wasn't bolted down at the walls, creating quite a din in the process.

"That bitch………….she got away again………." Jordan growled, furiously, when he'd finished demolishing his room. For three years, his resentment at being forgotten by his elder sister simmered, thus bringing him even closer to the Dark Side of the Force than even he had dared to imagine.

"_It's almost as though we were meant to be in this universe_……….._Come to think of it, we never really fit in back in our old universe. I wonder_……………" Jordan mused, his thoughts interrupted by yet another summons from Darth Vader.

"I'll think on this more later. For now, I'd best go before Master Vader becomes angry with me." Jordan muttered, as he departed from the wrecked room and headed for Vader's quarters.

"Bloody hell! Whatta pea soup fog! Can't see a thing!" Kayla mumbled, as she tried to find a safe place to land the shuttle.

"Got that right. Didn't think a Jedi Master would choose such a crazy spot to hide." Biggs agreed. A few moments later, they landed on the swampy planet of Dagobah. Kayla hid a grimace of disgust as she eyed her surroundings.

"_Worse than I thought. I didn't know it smelled this bad! Thank goodness the movies didn't have smell-o-vision or somethin' like that!_" Kayla thought, darkly, as she checked on Dack. Surprisingly enough, Dack was asleep, despite the rough landing. She let out a soft sigh of relief, then stepped over to the hatch. Without even straining her ears, she could hear Biggs complaining about their current situation.

"Damn………………we're gonna have a hard time leaving this bog! Both of the X-Wings are stuck. It appears that the only ship that managed to find firm ground was the shuttle." Biggs grumbled, as he and Luke got out of their ships, and as Kayla opened the entrance hatch to hers'. They jumped in surprise when Artoo started to follow Luke, and toppled over into the bog.

"Artoo! Where are you? Artoo!!" Luke shouted, in alarm, when the astromech droid disappeared under the murky water. Seconds later, one of Artoo's multipurpose arms extended above the water, showing Luke the visual sensor and allowing him a short sigh of relief.

"Artoo sure is hard to keep track of. He has more stubborn will than most people I know." Kayla muttered, earning herself a somewhat miffed look from both men. Kayla gave them both a sheepish grin, before Artoo's optic piece disappeared under the water again.

"ARTOO!!" Luke, Kayla, and Biggs yelped, as the water went still for a few moments.

"Artoo?" Luke asked, almost too afraid to look. A split second later, Artoo Detoo was spat out of the water by a giant marsh creature.

"I take it he didn't taste too good?" Kayla asked.

"Must not have." Biggs agreed.

"What's goin' on out here?" Dack asked, as he stumbled out of the shuttle to join the trio.

"Dack! Don't move! You're just gonna make your injuries worse!" Kayla scolded, as the wounded young pilot sank to his knees. Dack gave the group in front of him a wry grin.

"Couldn't very well sleep through what happened just now. 'Sides, I just got a feeling that we should stick together. Somethin' important is about to happen, and I want to be a part of it." Dack murmured, honestly. Kayla sighed and rolled her eyes, giving Biggs and Luke her 'help me out here, please?' look. The two other men shrugged.

"Thanks for nothin' you two." Kayla grumbled, halfheartedly. She knew she couldn't stay angry for long; these were her closest friends in this universe. They were the ones that kept her from going insane. This got a chuckle from all three of the men, and Biggs ruffled her hair.

"No problem. Now, where do we find this Jedi Master you were talkin' about, Luke? Any ideas?" Biggs asked. Luke shook his head.

"The only thing I can tell you, Biggs, is that a Jedi Master lives here somewhere…….." Luke replied, as he gazed at the eerie forest that stood around them.

"Kinda hard to imagine a Jedi Master hiding in a place like this." Dack stated, thoughtfully.

"Yeah…………yet if you're really saying that coming here was a bad idea, I'm starting to agree with you. This place is like………something out of a dream……or…..I don't know. Maybe I'm just going crazy." Luke murmured.

"I think we're inclined to agree with you, Luke, about this place seeming like a dream. In any case, you two might as well get to shore, if we're gonna find this Jedi you came to find." Kayla said, as she helped the stubborn Dack to his feet and shouldered his weight. She watched as Luke and Biggs jumped into the fetid water and make their way over to her.

"_I just hope Jordan doesn't remember that Luke came here to try and finish his training. If he does, none of us will be a match for him._" Kayla thought, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that her brother would use his knowledge of the Star Wars movies against her and her friends…………….and that it would prove disastrous for all of them.

Far away from Dagobah, on board the _Executioner_, Jordan arrived just as Vader's helmet was being placed back on his head. He could see the nervous new Admiral, Piett, struggling to maintain his composure while in the presence of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"Yes, Admiral?" Vader asked, after the helmet was firmly in place.

"Our ships have sighted the _Millennium Falcon_, milord. But……..it has entered an asteroid field and we cannot risk……….!" Piett started, but was interrupted by Jordan.

"Asteroids do not concern my Master and me, Admiral. We want that ship, not excuses." Jordan growled, hiding a smirk when he sensed Vader's approval.

"Yes, milord…………..and Commander Devans…………." Piett replied, shakily, before leaving the room.

"Jordan, are you certain that you would rather not go to Dagobah?" Vader asked, after they were both sure that Piett was out of earshot. Jordan nodded.

"If we can capture those on board the _Falcon_, it will lure my sister and Skywalker out of hiding. Don't worry Master, I know what I'm doing." Jordan replied, confidently. Darth Vader nodded, then dismissed him.

"_Don't worry Kayla. You're safe for now. I want to be the one to take you down; I don't want some stinkin' stormtrooper to do it for me._" Jordan thought, coldly, as he walked down the hall, ignoring the looks of fear and respect he was getting from the Super Star Destroyer's crew as he went.

"Now, all we've got to do is find this Yoda person…………..if he even exists." Luke muttered, as he and his companions set up a makeshift camp on one of the few patches of solid ground they could find in the swamp.

"It's still a strange place to look for a Jedi Master." Biggs stated, as he set down a container of food, looking around in disgust as he did so.

"Yeah, I'll agree with you on that, Biggs." Kayla murmured, as she helped Dack get comfortable (or as comfortable as he could get, considering they all were in the middle of a swamp).

"This place gives me the creeps." Dack mumbled, as he listened to the sounds that were coming from all around them. Ever since they had landed on the marshy planet, Luke had explained to them what he'd seen on Hoth, and why he needed to find Yoda now.

"_But still_………….._Yoda had some pretty weird taste to choose a planet like this one to hide on._" Kayla silently mused.

"_It wasn't by choice that he came to this planet, Kayla._" The mysterious voice from before said, gently, in the back of Kayla's mind.

"_What the_……………………" Kayla's mind yelped, startled. Apparently the shock she'd felt at 'hearing' the voice again must have shone up on her face, since all three of her male companions were giving her strange looks.

"What's wrong, Kayla?" Luke asked, concerned for her.

"N-nothing, Luke. Nothing at all." Kayla nervously replied.

"Your expression says otherwise, Kay. You didn't sense anything, did you?" Biggs questioned.

"Not exactly." Kayla answered, not exactly lying, yet not exactly telling the truth, either.

"Something startled you, Kay, and you're reluctant to tell us what." Dack said, knowingly. Luke and Biggs leaned forward, expecting Kayla to tell them what she'd sensed.

"It wasn't Vader, I'll tell ya that much." Kayla stated, stubbornly. She smiled slightly when all three men sighed in relief. They knew, as well as she, that they were no match for Darth Vader as they were now. Luke's Jedi training was incomplete, and hers' hadn't even started yet.

"Y'know, there's something familiar about this place…….." Luke murmured, getting back to the situation at hand.

"Yeah, you're right about that………..I don't know why, though." Biggs agreed. Dack and Kayla nodded their agreement. For some odd and unexplained reason, Dagobah was eerily familiar to all of them.

"I don't know either…………….I feel like……." Luke said, softly, trailing off before he could finish the thought. They all jumped when another, unfamiliar voice piped up.

"Feel like what?" the croaking voice asked, startling the four into unholstering their blasters and aiming them at…………….a green, pointy-eared midget?!

"Like we're being watched." Kayla and Luke said, at the same time. The 'midget' cringed, seemingly afraid of the four blasters aimed at him.

"Away put your weapons. I mean you no harm." The midget said, as he motioned for the four to put their weapons back into their holsters.

"_Okaaaay then_…………._it's one thing to watch this in the movies, but it's a totally different thing to actually have it happen to you!_" Kayla thought, as she watched the midget straighten and look at each of them in turn.

"I am wondering, why are you here?" the midget asked, curiously.

"We're looking for someone." Luke answered. The midget's eyes brightened.

"Looking? Found someone, you have. I would say, hmmm? Help you I can. Yes." The midget said, jovially, then added, "Heal wounds, I can." Dack rolled his eyes and gave the midget a disbelieving look.

"I doubt it. It would take a bacta tank to heal my wounds right now." Dack stated, doubt reigning supreme on his young face.

"I also doubt he truly can. Besides, we're looking for a great warrior." Luke said, as he looked at their rations and wondered how they could make them stretch.

"Ahhh, a great warrior! Wars not make one great." The midget said, with a hint of sadness in his ancient voice. Kayla watched as the midget started rummaging through their belongings, hiding his sadness in his antics.

"_He's been here by himself for a long time. He's probably glad to hear voices that aren't his own_……….._even if we were kinda impatient with him._" Kayla mused, smiling when Artoo tried to get Luke's lamp back from the midget, resulting in a rather humorous tug-of-war between them.

"C'mon, Luke. Let him have the lamp. You can use mine in the meantime." Biggs said, trying not to laugh at the situation before him. Luke gave Biggs a deadpan look, before turning to Artoo.

"Artoo, let him have it." Luke ordered. Artoo uttered a reluctant sounding beep, then let the midget's arm go.

"Now will you move along, little fella? We've got a lot of work to do." Luke grumbled, as he motioned to the ships that were still stuck in the bog.

"No! No, no! Stay and help you, I will. Find your friend." The midget said, getting a chagrined look from Luke and some snickers from Kayla, Dack, and Biggs.

"We're not looking for a friend. We're looking for a Jedi Master, sir." Kayla said, politely. The midget arched an eyebrow (or eye ridge, if you prefer), then grinned.

"Jedi Master. Yoda. You seek Yoda." The midget said, thoughtfully. Luke stared at him in surprise, as did Dack and Biggs. Kayla, on the other hand, had been expecting this.

"You know Yoda?" Dack asked, curious despite the pain he was in. The midget nodded.

"Mmm. Take you to him, I will." The midget promised, giving Kayla a knowing look before turning and walking a short distance away from them.

"Yes, yes. But now, we must eat. Come. Good food. Come." The midget said, as he led them away from the campsite. Luke glanced questioningly at his friends, who shrugged in response. What did they have to lose by following the midget?

"Can you handle a walk, Dack?" Kayla asked, as she helped the wounded pilot get to his feet.

"I can take anything, so long as you guys are around." Dack said, getting a look of gentle surprise from Kayla.

"Don't get all mushy, kid." Biggs muttered, trying to hide the fact that he'd been touched by the younger man's declaration.

"It's the truth, Biggs…………it's definitely the truth." Dack murmured, in response, as they followed the strange little midget to his swampland home, not expecting what was to become a major turning point in all their lives.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Darth Vader and Jordan listened as the commanders of the other Star Destroyers reported in on the progress of chasing the _Millenium Falcon_ through the asteroid field.

"……..and that Lord Vader, Commander Devans, was the last time they appeared on any of our scopes. Considering the amount of damage we've sustained, they must have been destroyed." One of the captains said, gravely.

"No, captain, they're alive. I want every ship available to sweep the asteroid field until they are found." Vader growled. As the hologram disappeared from before the Sith Lord and Dark Jedi, one of the _Executioner_'s deck officers approached them.

"Lord Vader, Commander Devans, the Emperor commands you make contact with him." The officer said, calmly.

"_This day just keeps getting better_……………." Jordan thought, sarcastically.

"_Watch your thoughts, Jordan._" Vader's mental voice warned.

"_Sorry Master._" Jordan replied.

"Move this ship out of the asteroid field, so we can have a clearer signal." Vader commanded. The officer nodded, uttered a quick 'Yes, milord.' then jogged off. With Darth Vader leading the way, Jordan followed him into the largest holo room in the ship. It was then that Jordan was struck with a feeling a déjà vu; how like this situation was to the one when he had first met the real Dark Lord of the Sith.

"_I was such a child back then_………….._Now I am so much more. More than Kayla ever will be, since she probably won't get her training._" Jordan mused, as he and Vader kneeled, and as a larger than life image of the Emperor appeared before them.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Vader asked.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force." The Emperor snarled.

"I have felt it." Vader replied.

"As have I." Jordan added, quietly.

"We have a new enemy. The young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt that this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker." The Emperor said, matter-of-factly. Jordan could almost feel Vader reel back mentally in surprise, but did well to hide this physically.

"How is this possible?" Vader asked, some disbelief slipping through, despite the growling tone.

"Search your feelings, Lord Vader, you know it to be true. He could destroy us." the Emperor stated, golden eyes glaring at his servant.

"He's just a boy. Obi-wan can no longer help him." Vader argued.

"The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi." The Emperor growled.

"If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally." Vader suggested. The Emperor seemed to think this over for a moment, then smiled. This act alone made Jordan shudder; even after all this time, he still hadn't gotten used to that.

"Yes, yes. He could be a great asset. Can it be done?" the Emperor asked, ambitiously.

"He will join us, or die, Master." Vader declared.

"What say you, young Jordan? Are you against having the son of Skywalker here?" the Emperor asked, as he turned his attention to the younger man.

"No milord. But there is also my sister to worry about. She is also strong in the Force." Jordan stated.

"True. And there are also a few others that could pose a threat. What do you want to do with your sister?" the Emperor questioned.

"I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it, your majesty." Jordan replied, respectfully. The Emperor nodded, then his image disappeared.

"Ow! Sheesh! Could the ceiling be any lower?! Criminy!" Kayla muttered, wincing as she made her way over to where Luke and Biggs were sitting. The midget was busily making poultices for Dack's wounds, humming as he went.

"My folks will never believe me when I tell 'em about this!" Biggs mumbled, as he helped himself to some of the stew that was on the makeshift stove near them.

"Patience! For the Jedi, it is time to eat as well. Eat, eat. Hot." The midget sang, cheerfully. He ignored the four humans when they made grotesque faces at his culinary skills.

"_Blech_…………_Smells and tastes like dirty gym socks! Gross._" Kayla thought, guessing at what Luke's and Biggs' thoughts were on the subject.

"How far away is Yoda? Will it take us long to get there?" Luke asked.

"Not far. Yoda not far. Patience. Soon you will be with him." The midget said, soberly.

"_Yeah. As in right in right in front of us. But I can't tell Luke that._" Kayla mused, as she watched Yoda carefully apply yet another poultice to Dack's badly burned abdomen, and felt pity rise within her when she saw him grimace.

"Why you wish become Jedi? Hmm?" the midget asked. Luke's face took on a soft smile before he answered him.

"Mostly because of my father……..I guess." Luke replied.

"Your father was a Jedi, Luke?" Dack asked, a bit surprised by the news.

"Yeah. He was." Luke replied, with some sadness in his own voice.

"_At this point, he still thinks his father was killed before his birth. I can't tell him the truth. That wouldn't be right._" Kayla thought, grimly.

"Ah, father…………..powerful Jedi, was he……………..Powerful Jedi….." the midget murmured, somberly. Kayla, Biggs, and Dack recoiled when Luke snapped.

"Oh come on! How could you know my father? You don't even know who I am! Oh, I don't even know what I'm doing here. We're wasting our time." Luke growled, as he turned his back on the midget.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Luke! Don't take it out on the little guy." Biggs said, trying to calm the impatient young man down.

"I cannot teach him." The midget muttered, "The boy has no patience." All activity in the room ceased when another, ghostly voice answered the midget.

"_He will learn patience._" The voice said.

"Much anger in him………like his father." The midget argued.

"_Was I any different when you taught me?_" the voice asked.

"He's not ready. Nor are the other three." The midget snorted. This got startled responses from Biggs, Kayla, and even Dack.

"Us……..?" Kayla and Biggs asked.

"Jedi?" Dack finished, stunned by this bit of news. The midget nodded.

"Force sensitive, all of you are." The midget stated, calmly. Kayla and Biggs then gave Dack a peculiar look.

"You'd said that something important was about to happen, Dack. Were you expecting this?" Biggs asked, incredulously. Dack shook his head.

"No, I wasn't. I knew it was something important………….but I had no idea that it would be this." Dack replied.

"Waitaminute………..if he could sense Ben, then that means…………..Yoda!" Luke yelped, then added, "I'm ready! I…………..Ben! I can be a Jedi! Ben, tell him I'm ready!" Luke's three friends flinched when Luke went to stand up, and bashed his head into the ceiling.

"Ow." Kayla muttered. Luke ignored her as he sat down with a hand to his head.

"Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight-hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is trained!" Yoda said, seriously, as he pointed at Luke, then glanced at his three companions.

"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched." Yoda continued.

"_And yet, there are no others that can train these four as you can, Master Yoda._" The voice Kayla had heard before said, quietly. Yoda stiffened.

"So, you argue their case as well, Qui –Gon?" Yoda asked, to the thin air in front of him.

"_If I must, yes._" The voice said again.

"_Holy crap! It had been Qui-Gon Jinn talkin' to me the entire time!_" Kayla thought, in disbelief. Yoda sighed.

"All their lives have they looked away………to the future, to the horizon. Never their minds on where they were. What they were doing." Yoda chastised, noticing when Kayla lowered her gaze. It was true; she had been looking elsewhere for something in the life she had once known, and now she had it. But at such a cost. She had been forced to grow up in the midst of a war-torn universe, and had been forced to give up on her younger brother.

"_Now I'm paying for it. This is what I get for wishing._" Kayla thought, sadly, as her thoughts turned to Jordan. His mental voice had been filled with hate, and she knew that she was to blame for that. Yoda continued his verbal chastising.

"Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. All of you are reckless!" Yoda stated.

"_So was I, if you would remember._" Obi-wan's voice murmured, softly.

"_And you know I was, Master Yoda. It cost me dearly._" Qui-Gon's voice added.

"They are too old. Yes, too old to begin the training." Yoda argued, stubbornly.

"Then we came here for nothing, Master Yoda?" Dack asked, breaking his silence and giving the ancient Jedi Master a pleading look.

"Hmm." Yoda sighed, lowering his head for a moment.

"But I've learned so much." Luke objected. Yoda turned and looked at him.

"I won't fail you." Luke continued.

"Nor will we. Even though I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that I can become a Jedi." Biggs said, with a slight grin. Yoda nodded slightly, then looked at him.

"Skywalker, I know. But I know not your names." Yoda said, as he pointed at Kayla, Dack, and Biggs.

"I'm Kayla Devans." Kayla said, introducing herself to the diminutive Jedi Master.

"And I'm Biggs Darklighter." Biggs continued. Now it was Dack's turn.

"Dack Starkiller." Dack stated, softly. This got a minor look of surprise from Yoda and Kayla.

"_Starkiller?! That was George Lucas' original last name for Luke!_" Kayla's mind yelped, in surprise.

"Starkiller? Hmm. Another powerful Jedi, from long, long ago…………" Yoda murmured, as he turned back to the stove.

"Master Yoda, I won't fail you. We won't fail you. We're not afraid." Luke declared, strongly. Yoda in turn gave the quartet a grave look before replying.

"You will be……………you will be." Yoda whispered, leaving an air of foreboding over the four. The next couple of days were grueling for three out of the four new Jedi candidates. Under Yoda's instruction, Biggs, Luke, and Kayla ran like the wind through the swampy woodland surrounding the diminutive Jedi Master's home.

"_It feels like I am one with the wind._" Kayla thought, smiling somewhat when she heard Biggs whoop before taking a flying leap over a lake.

"Crazy, that one is." Yoda mumbled, getting some chuckles from Luke and Kayla in response.

"Well, he's as stubborn as a Wookie, and as spontaneous as a Dug." Luke said, pausing for a brief moment to wait for Kayla and Biggs to catch up (he'd pulled ahead in the unexpected race, and left the other two far behind).

"Still reckless. Now, continue on." Yoda urged, when he saw the other two catching up with them. With a nod, Luke vaulted off into the branches of one of the giant trees.

"Run. Yes. A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware the Dark Side. Anger, fear, aggression. The Dark Side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the Dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you, it will, as it did with Obi-Wan's apprentice." Yoda said, mentally telling Biggs, Dack, and Kayla this same thing. Within moments, they arrived at a different tree, where Dack sat, waiting for them.

"Feeling better, Dack?" Kayla asked, a bit surprised when she saw him sitting there. The younger man smiled back at her.

"I'm not one hundred percent yet, Kay, but my wounds are healing." Dack replied, calmly.

"That is the Force flowing through you. Heal you, it will, given time." Yoda said, as he got down from Luke's back and stood before the four would-be Jedi. As much as he hated to admit it, Yoda was impressed by their stalwart determination in the face of such odds (namely starting in their training so late, and their previous battle experiences). With a soft sigh, he remembered the younglings on Coruscant, and the rest of the Jedi Temple's inhabitants……………it seemed like a whole other lifetime to him.

"_Now things come full circle._" Yoda thought, as he reached into his robe, and pulled four, cylindrical objects from under it.

"These, my young apprentices,are lightsabers. Since Luke already has one, you will each receive one. But one of them is damaged; it needs a new focusing gem." Yoda said, as he handed the three others a lightsaber apiece. With a gasp, Kayla recognized the lightsaber she'd been handed almost immediately; with it's slightly bent handle and graceful lines, it had to be none other than Count Dooku's lightsaber!

"_Ooh, boy. Jordan would've loved to have seen this_…………_and here I am holding it! But dang_……….._I wish I'd paid more attention to what happened to Count Dooku in the movies!_" Kayla thought, as she turned the disengaged saber over in her hands, testing its weight. It was when she tried to ignite the saber that she was met with disappointment; out of the four lightsabers they had been presented with, she had to be the one to get the lemon! The four males must have guessed her mood by her expression because Biggs gently ruffled her hair to reassure her.

"You got the damaged one, didn't you?" Dack asked.

"Yeah." Kayla said, her tone betraying her.

"Then you are the one…………….who will restore that weapon's lost honor………It is as it should be." Yoda whispered, watching as Kayla gazed thoughtfully at the damaged weapon. It was then that something caught the attention of the four Jedi-in-training. An ominous chill was in the air; and it took Kayla a few moments to realize where they were.

"_The Dark Side cave! Bloody hell, I'd forgotten about that!_" Kayla's mind cried, as hers, and her friends', eyes were drawn to the shadowed opening.

"There's something not right here………" Luke murmured, "I feel cold…………"

"No kidding. It's as cold as death here." Biggs muttered, his unease very easily seen. Without uttering a word, Yoda pointed out the opening of the cave with his staff.

"That place is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil, it is. In, you four, must go." Yoda said, then added, "But one at a time." This got looks of discomfort from the four, especially Kayla.

"What's in there?" Luke asked, asking the question that was in each of their minds. Yoda lowered his gaze from them for a moment, then looked back at them.

"Only what you take with you." Yoda replied, softly.

"I'll go first." Luke volunteered, as he started to strap on his belt with his lightsaber and blaster on it. He paused when Yoda spoke again.

"Your weapons,….you will not need them." Yoda said, gravely. Kayla could tell that Luke was warring within himself as he held the belt in his hands, but then put it on and went in. Moments later, after Luke had disappeared into the tree, a blood-curdling scream was heard from inside.

"LUKE!" Kayla cried, before strapping on her own belt and dashing into the cave after him.

"Kay! Wait!" Dack and Biggs called, just as alarmed as she was, but were stopped from going in after her by a gentle motion from Yoda.

"My feet! They won't move!" Biggs yelped, as he struggled to free his legs from the invisible grip.

"Master Yoda, what did you do?!" Dack asked, appalled, yet still respectful, nonetheless. Yoda sighed, and gave both men a grim look.

"Pass this test, they must. But on their own. Your tests are coming, so be patient." Yoda replied.

"Kayla……………..Luke………….." Biggs muttered, as he stared at the cave's shadowed entrance, afraid for his friends, yet somehow knowing that they would come out a little bit stronger for it.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Kayla could tell she was in trouble from the moment she'd stepped away from the cave's entrance. She could still hear the echoes of Luke's scream, but with every step she took, they got even fainter.

"_This is what I get for rushing into things._" Kayla thought, silently cursing herself for her rash decision. All around her, different beings went about their daily business, despite the ominous weight in the air. Snakes and lizards, creatures Kayla was familiar with from her own homeworld, crawled around on twisted tree limbs, hunting for their next meals.

"_The Crocodile Hunter would be right at home here._" Kayla mused, sarcastically, almost halfway expecting to see the hyperactive naturalist jump down from a ledge above her. She froze when the air suddenly went ice cold around her, and something materialized from the gloom. Kayla's eyes widened when she saw who it was, and her breath caught in her throat. It was Jordan!

"Jord! Hey! I didn't know you were……………..here……………" Kayla almost shouted, her relief and joy over seeing her little brother giving way to uncertainty and some fear when he turned his attention to her and ignited a lightsaber.

"You abandoned me." Jordan growled, angrily.

"No………….Jord, I didn't……………..I didn't abandon you…………." Kayla stammered, overwhelmed by the hatred that was coming from her younger brother's form.

"Don't lie to me! You gave up on me! You didn't even bother to come looking for me!" Jordan snarled, as he slashed at his sister; narrowly missing her stomach with his blood-red blade.

"Jord, I didn't know where to look! Had I even had a clue, I would've come for you! You could've at least given me a sign that you were still alive!" Kayla argued, while trying desperately to avoid the lightsaber's blade.

"No excuses! Stand and fight me, Kay! Ignite that saber and fight!" Jordan howled, furiously.

"But……………" Kayla said, but was cut off by Jordan.

"No buts! Fight or die, Kay!" Jordan shouted, as he attacked with his full fury. Not knowing any other alternative, Kayla brought up her lightsaber and hit the power button, fully expecting nothing to happen. To her utter shock and disbelief, the lightsaber in her hands flashed to brilliant life; a turquoise blade taking up residence where no blade had been before.

"_W-what the heck?! This thing didn't even have a focusing gem before! How could it have a blade now of all times?!?_" Kayla wondered, as she parried a blow from Jordan, then knocked his blade away from her. For a few moments, they both stood poised, ready for the other's next move. Then, with a scream, Jordan charged forward, with the full intent of burying his blade in Kayla's chest. With a move spurred by desperation, Kayla dodged to one side, stabbed what she thought was air, then leaped to a safer distance. Horror blossomed when she saw Jordan fall to the ground, and she rushed to his side.

"Jord!" Kayla screamed, voicing the horror she felt as she kneeled beside her younger brother, disengaging her saber while she was at it.

"You………….abandoned me………….Kay…………..and now I'm gonna make you pay………………Just you wait and see…………." Jordan whispered, as blood trickled from the corners of his mouth and the huge gash in his stomach. And, as Kayla watched, the vision of her brother faded, revealing that she had been alone the entire time.

Biggs and Dack looked up when Luke emerged from the tree.

"Luke!" Biggs shouted, a bit concerned when he saw the haunted look on Luke's face.

"Biggs…………..Dack……………" Luke replied, as he shakily smiled at the pair, then realized that Kayla wasn't with them.

"Where's Kay?" all three of them asked, at the same time.

"She went in after you! She heard you scream and rushed in there to save you!" Dack said, alarmed by what Luke had just said.

"I didn't scream." Luke replied.

"If you didn't, then what did?" Biggs asked, unnerved by the fact that Luke had not seen Kayla come in after him.

"The Dark Side." Yoda said, simply.

"The Dark Side made that awful sound? How could that be possible?" Dack asked, in complete disbelief.

"Anything is possible in the Force. Ere it be the Light side or the Dark. But you must not allow yourselves to be seduced by the Dark Side. Otherwise, it will eventually destroy you." Yoda warned, as Kayla stumbled out of the cave.

"Kay! Are you all right?!" the three men asked, then noticed that tears were flowing freely down Kayla's face.

"Kay…………" Dack murmured, as Biggs approached her and gently embraced her.

"It'll be all right, Kay. It'll be all right." Biggs whispered, trying to soothe her troubled heart.

"No it won't, Biggs……………not until I find Jordan……………..It won't be all right until I find him, and tell him that I didn't abandon him………….." Kayla sobbed, taking some minor comfort in the strong arms that held her, and the beating heart she could hear.

On board the _Executor_, Darth Vader stood in conference with the most feared figures in the galaxy, aside from himself, the Emperor, and Jordan; bounty hunters.

"There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the _Millenium Falcon_. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive." Vader ordered, before turning to the one hunter that stood apart from the rest.

"No disintegrations." Vader continued.

"As you wish." The bounty hunter known only as Boba Fett growled, in response.

"_Poor Fett. I almost feel sorry for him. I know what will happen to him less than a year from now. Sarlacc food._" Jordan thought, then froze when an anguished mental cry reached him. A cry that sounded strangely like his name.

"_Kayla?_" Jordan's mind asked, confused for a moment as to why she would cry out like that, but then shrugged. He didn't care. He'd catch her soon enough. And when he did, he would find out why she had not tried to find him sooner.

Later that evening, Yoda carried on with the lessons. He could sense that what Kayla had seen had disturbed her greatly, but it didn't deter her from learning more about the Force. She, Biggs, and Luke were now in handstands, levitating all manner of solid objects with the Force.

"Use the Force………Yes, now………the stones…………….feel them…….." Yoda said, softly, concentrating on the three in front of him, and Dack, who was also lifting objects with the Force (only not from a handstand, and sitting on the boulder next to Yoda). It wasn't until Artoo started beeping shrilly in alarm that the spell was broken, and three out of four Jedi students fell soundly on their butts.

"Ow." Kayla and Biggs muttered, and as Luke and Dack rushed over to where the ships were located. The shuttle was still in place, but the two X-Wings had sunk even deeper into the bog.

"Oh no…………….we'll never get them out now." Luke muttered, hopelessly.

"Well, there goes any hope of getting back home. What now?" Biggs asked, irritably. They all knew that the shuttle was far too small to carry all of them.

"_This day just keeps getting better._" Kayla thought, unwittingly echoing what Jordan had thought hours earlier.

"So certain are you." Yoda spoke up, catching Dack with the Force and setting him down gently when his legs gave out from under him. Yoda sighed in resignation; one step forward, two steps back.

"Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you four nothing that I say?" Yoda asked, with a minute trace of irritation in his voice.

"Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different." Luke stated, as he motioned to the trapped starfighters.

"Yeah. It would take a small tractor beam to pull those X-Wings out now." Biggs added. Yoda only gave him a look of annoyance.

"No. No different. Only different in your minds. You must unlearn what you have learned." Yoda said, as both Biggs and Luke gave him a resigned look.

"All right, we'll give it a try." Luke murmured, but Kayla knew only too well that he would fail. Yoda shook his head.

"No. Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." Yoda stated, grimly. With that said, Yoda, Kayla, and Dack watched as Luke and Biggs turned to the starfighters and closed their eyes. For a few moments, nothing happened, then the fighters started to rise. Slowly but surely, the X-Wings started to come out of the bog. It was when looks of strain started to appear on the faces of both X-Wing pilots that Kayla made a decision.

"Dack." Kayla said, as she looked at him, then looked at their friends. At first confusion reigned on Dack's face, then he realized what Kayla wanted, then closed his eyes. Together, they reached out through the Force to Luke and Biggs, with the intent to share their strength with them.

"_Luke, Biggs. Let us help._" Kayla mentally said, noticing when the two men started in surprise, then eased.

"_I don't think Master Yoda will be too pleased with your helping us, Kay._" Biggs' mental voice replied.

"_We'd help you with or without Master Yoda's permission. You and Luke are our friends, remember?_" Dack stated, letting his friends know that he was in on the conversation as well.

"_Yes. But you're also more stubborn than Wookies. All right. Let's do this._" Luke's 'voice' muttered, as he let go of whatever inhibitions and misgivings he had, and allowed himself to become one with the Force……….and as his friends did the same. Almost at once, Yoda noticed the difference; he could tell that all four of his apprentices were working together to solve the problem, something that had been part of the Jedi training many years ago and had been abandoned in the later years of the Old Republic.

"_Such strength from these four! Maybe there is reason to hope after all._" Yoda thought, as the four young Jedi levitated the two starships to firmer ground, cementing a lasting bond between them in the process.

"Good. Very good. Even though I did not give permission for two of you to help, you did very well. It seems you are learning." Yoda said, getting rather sheepish looks from both Dack and Kayla while he was at it.

"I almost gave up. It was too big to handle on my own." Luke murmured, giving his friends a rather embarrassed look to prove his point.

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?" Yoda asked, with something akin to a smirk on his face.

"No sir." Biggs said, getting some chuckles from Dack, Luke, and Kayla in response. Yoda only arched an eye-ridge.

"And well you should not. For my ally is the Force…..and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. It's energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." Yoda said, pinching Luke in the arm to prove his point. Luke flinched, and gave Dack an unreadable glance when he snickered at that.

"You must feel the Force around you." Yoda continued, "Here, between you four…..me……the tree…….the rock…everywhere! Do not forget that."

"We won't, Master." Kayla replied, quietly, aware when the ancient Jedi Master gave her a knowing look, then hobbled away, leaving the four to their own thoughts.

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa." Jordan sneered, as he watched Vader kill Needa for his failure to capture the _Millenium Falcon_. The ship had disappeared without a trace (or so the Imperials thought) and now another incompetent had paid the price.

"Lord Vader, Commander Devans, our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing." Admiral Veers said, trying not to notice when some of his subordinates dragged the corpse of the unfortunate Needa past him.

"If the _Millenium Falcon_ went into lightspeed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now. Alert all commands. Calculate every possible destination along their last known trajectory." Vader commanded.

"Yes, my lord. We'll find them." Veers promised. Vader gave an imperceptible nod, before turning slightly and saying, "Don't fail me again, Admiral." With an audible gulp, Veers turned on his heel and began issuing orders to the rest of the crew. Jordan smirked when he saw Veers rush from the bridge when he thought no one was looking.

"_What has you so amused, my young apprentice?_" Vader's mental voice asked, with the tiniest hint of curiosity in it.

"_I was beginning to wonder just how strong Veers' stomach was. Now I know._" Jordan replied in kind, snickering somewhat at the thought of the greenish tinge that had appeared on the Imperial Admiral's face when Vader had finished with Needa. Vader 'said' nothing more, but Jordan could tell that this vaguely amused his master.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Yoda four apprentices were up early and three of them doing some meditation exercises. Luke and Biggs were in handstands, as they had been the evening before and Dack was sitting Indian-style not too far away. During all this, Kayla was repairing the lightsaber Yoda had given her. As it had turned out, there was still no focusing gem inside the handle, so it was a total mystery to Kayla on how she'd even managed to ignite it during her confrontation with the phantom Jordan.

"_Must've been some sort of vision of the future._" Kayla thought, then shuddered. She certainly hoped it would never come true. No matter how many times she had threatened to kill her younger brother when he annoyed the heck out of her, she'd never actually meant it!

"Thinking of the cave again, young Kayla?" Yoda asked, as he approached her.

"Yeah. I hope what I saw doesn't come to pass. I can't kill my own brother." Kayla said, worriedly. She was a little surprised when Yoda placed a comforting hand on her own trembling ones.

"Worrying will get you nowhere. Always in motion, the future is." Yoda said, gently.

"I hope you're right." Kayla murmured, smiling a little when she heard Dack begin to snore, and saw Yoda roll his eyes.

"Young Starkiller has fallen asleep again. Following in the footsteps of his ancestor, he is. A little more closely than he realizes….." Yoda muttered, as he hobbled back over to the three men, and jabbed Dack with his walking stick when he was close enough. Kayla suppressed a giggle when Dack mumbled something about not having meant to fall asleep in class, to which Biggs and Luke merely smirked at, before going back into their meditation.

"Feel the Force flow. Yes. Good. Calm, yes. Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future…..the past. Old friends, long gone." Yoda said, with a hint of sadness in his own voice. Kayla could tell that the latter part of the instruction was from Yoda's own personal experience. During the Jedi purge, he'd lost many good friends. Many of them at the hands of the Emperor himself. Kayla could remember very clearly that, while she had been watching the movie 'Revenge of the Sith' with her brother, that she could almost feel every Jedi's death from where she sat.

"_I wonder_…………._was I Force-sensitive even then?_" Kayla mused, jumping somewhat when Luke let out a startled yelp and toppled over, taking Biggs with him.

"LEIA!" Luke cried, as he bolted upright, his blue eyes wild for a few moments, before realizing that he was still on Dagobah, and that his friends were gazing concernedly at him.

"What happened Luke? What did you see?" Dack asked, now fully awake and focusing a mildly worried blue-green gaze onto Luke.

"I saw……….I saw a city in the clouds. They were in pain." Luke murmured, his voice growing softer with each word said.

"It is the future, you see." Yoda stated, matter-of-factly.

"Future?" Biggs asked. Yoda nodded.

"Will Captain Solo and Princess Leia die, Master?" Dack asked, as he, Biggs, and Kayla caught a glimpse of what Luke had seen, and all the color fled from their faces. Yoda lowered his head, concentrated for a few moments, then gave the four a grave look.

"Difficult to see. Always in motion, is the future." Yoda said, softly. He looked up when Luke moved to gather his things.

"I've got to go to them." Luke said, as he rushed around.

"We're goin' with ya, Luke." Biggs declared.

"We're not going to let you go it alone." Dack said, as he rose too quickly, and fell to one knee moments afterwards, wincing in pain.

"Take it easy, Dack!" Kayla said, as she kneeled down to see if he was all right.

"Decide you must, how to serve them best. If you four leave now, help them you could…….But you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered." Yoda said, getting all four to stop in their tracks and give him unreadable looks.

Kayla watched as Luke hurried to prepare his X-Wing for take-off. He had made his decision that afternoon to go to where Han and Leia were, and had spent the entire evening packing.

"Luke, I want to go with you to Cloud City. I want to help you." Kayla said, stubbornly. Luke sighed.

"I know you do, Kay. But what about your lightsaber? Is it ready yet?" Luke asked, with more concern for the lone female in their midst than there had ever been before.

"You'd be surprised." Kayla replied, somewhat smugly, as she hit the power button on her saber's hilt, and it flashed to brilliant life. Luke could only stare at the turquoise blade in disbelief before giving her a resigned look.

"Biggs, would you be willing to let her use your X-Wing?" Luke asked, as he looked to the other pilot for an answer.

"Well, where I'm going I won't be needing it. I'm takin' Dack back to HQ (wherever that is now) to see about getting his wounds treated. We'll meet ya back there." Biggs replied, but not before walking over to Kayla and holding her close. A bit surprised by this, Kayla gave the normally roguish pilot a confused look, only to be baffled by the look she saw in his eyes.

"What is it?" Kayla asked, quietly.

"Be careful, Kay. I don't want to lose you. I've got a bad feeling about Cloud City." Biggs said, his usually bright eyes clouded with worry. She smiled, but held him closer to her, regardless.

"Don't worry. I'll be careful. I promise." Kayla whispered.

"You'd better keep your word, or I'll tear the whole universe apart to find you and remind you of your promise. Got me?" Biggs asked, teasingly.

"Got you." Kayla replied, then turned to Luke and asked, "Ready to fly?"

"Yeah." Luke answered. As the sublight engines on the three ships began to warm up, Yoda tried his best to dissuade them from leaving, and as Biggs and Dack disappeared into the shuttle.

"Luke! Biggs! Kayla! Dack! You must complete your training! You must not go!" Yoda said, desperately.

"I can't keep the vision out of my head. Han and Leia will die if we don't go!" Luke said, referring to himself and Kayla when he said that.

"_You don't know that. Even Yoda cannot see their fate._" Obi-wan's ghostly voice said, as he and Qui-Gon materialized next to Yoda.

"But we can help them! We feel the Force!" Kayla said, enthusiastically, as the shuttle lifted off first.

"_But you cannot control it._" Qui-Gon murmured, looking very concerned about the pair, as they prepared their ships for departure.

"_This is a dangerous time for all four of you, when you will all be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force._" Obi-wan stated, patiently.

"Yes, yes. To Obi-wan you listen. The cave. Remember your failures at the cave!" Yoda said, speaking to both of the headstrong students.

"_It is the both of you and your abilities the Emperor wants. That is why your friends are made to suffer. Luke_………._Kayla_……." Obi-wan pleaded.

"That's why we have to go." Luke replied, stubbornly.

"Stopped they must be. On this all depends. Only fully-trained Jedi Knights with the Force as their ally will conquer Vader and his Emperor." Yoda said, calmly.

"And sacrifice Han and Leia?" Kayla asked.

"If you honor what they fight for……..yes!" Yoda replied. This got betrayed looks from both young Jedi; something that unexpectedly caused a pang of guilt to go through the whole of Yoda's being.

"_If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone._" Obi-wan said, grimly.

"_Neither of us can interfere._" Qui-Gon finished, as the pair of Jedi apprentices gave them sad, yet determined looks.

"I understand." Luke and Kayla said, in unison, as they settled into their cockpits and began the take-off procedures.

"_Kayla, Luke, don't give in to hate, that leads to the Dark Side._" Qui-Gon said, as he looked directly into the determined young eyes of the pair.

"Strong is Vader. Mind what you have both learned. Save you it can." Yoda reminded.

"We will! And we'll return. I promise!" Luke said, speaking for all of the Jedi apprentices when he said that. As they flew off and into the endless starfield above, the aging Jedi Master and the two Jedi spirits gazed sadly after them.

"Told you both, I did. Reckless are they. Now matters are worse." Yoda murmured.

"_Those four were our last hope._" Obi-wan stated.

"No, there is one last one we can count on." Yoda whispered, his eyes distant as he said that.

Jordan waited eagerly at Vader's side as they both waited to throw their plan into action. They both knew Luke would come when he sensed that his friends were in danger, but didn't know whether or not Kayla would make an appearance.

"_It's not as though we have her loved one trapped here. Oh well. Luke will have to do, I guess._" Jordan thought, resignedly. It wasn't until a few hours before that he'd realized a major flaw to his plan in the capture of his sister; he didn't have the bait to lure her there!

"_And she won't come for me. So it wouldn't make sense to use myself as bait._" Jordan mused, jumping up when the doors opened, and when his master gracefully stood. He smirked when he saw the expressions of horror on the faces of Han, Leia, and Chewbacca, and sneered when Han tried to fire a shot, only to have it batted away by Vader's hand, and to have his blaster taken from him.

"Surprise." Jordan leered, as stormtroopers appeared from both ends of the hallway, and inside of the dining room as well.

"We would be honored if you would join us." Vader said, in menacing politeness, as he motioned to the seats nearest him and Jordan.

"I had no choice. They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry." Lando Calrissian said, gravely, when Han gave him a look that could boil oil.

"Sure you are." Han retorted, before he, Leia, and Chewbacca were ushered into the dining hall and the doors were closed behind them. A few short hours later, Jordan found himself inside of the interrogation chamber, while Han Solo was being 'interrogated'. He cringed involuntarily when the other man's screams reached his ears, and listened when Vader exchanged words with both Boba Fett and Lando.

"_I wonder if Kayla really is coming. Would she come for Leia and Han, like I know Luke will? Or have I made an irreversible mistake?_" Jordan wondered, then perked up when he sensed something; it was faint, but he could feel his sister's presence!

"_She's coming! And Luke is with her! Maybe I wasn't mistaken after all!_" Jordan thought, knowing now what was to come, and becoming very impatient for it.

Author's Note!

Yeah, I know this chapter was kinda short, but I want to get to the confrontation between the Jedi and the Sith as soon as possible! Hope this wasn't too bad!


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